Eagle River native Nick Hahn has had a pair of skates on his feet for as long as he can remember. He has skated since the age of three and has been on the ice ever since. Hockey is more than just a game to him; it’s a lifestyle. Hahn has been chasing the opportunity to play Division I hockey for a long time, and his hard work and dedication to the game have led to opportunities for him to potentially achieve that dream in the near future.

“Hockey means the world to me. It’s my entire life. It’s been a huge part of my life for years now, constantly playing year-round between the Eagle River Eagles, Wisconsin Flyers and Northstar Elite. I’ve put a ton of hard work into getting to where I am with my career now. Without the late nights getting from practices that are far away, the difficult workouts and going to the rink whenever I have time, I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I’m at now as a player,” Hahn stated.

“Hockey is more than a game to me because it has provided me with friendships that will last a lifetime. Some of my closest friends are kids that I’ve played with growing up. When playing with different teams in different areas around the state, you get to build so many close relationships with kids that you would’ve never known before, something that I’m very thankful for.”

Youth years

It isn’t just the recent success that has gotten him where he is today. His youth career has built a stable foundation for the player he is today.

Hahn finished his sophomore year at Northland Pines last month and was a crucial part of the D2 hockey team in the winter. Before that, he played in the ERRA for his whole career and contributed to state appearances at the peewee and bantam levels. He also continued to play year-round with AAA spring hockey on the Wisconsin Flyers and other teams and has played in summer tournaments with Northstar Elite over the past three years.

Futures draft selections

Most recently, Hahn hit a major turning point in exposure and was a seventh-round draft pick of the United States Hockey League (USHL) Phase 1 Futures Draft by the Lincoln Stars, a second-round pick of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) Futures Draft by the Watertown Shamrocks and a ninth-round pick of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Priority Selection by the Peterborough Petes.

These junior hockey futures drafts are not a play-now situation for Hahn; teams use the drafts to select based on the skills now and the player’s potential in the coming years.
Hahn explained that each summer, he has the chance to try out and make the teams, and if he doesn’t, he has more time to prepare and develop for the next summer of tryouts.

“With the three drafts this year, I got selected for my talent right now, and the potential I have as a player. I won’t play for any of those three teams now, as I still need to keep developing. With being drafted, I have opportunities to make those teams each summer. If I don’t make them, I keep getting better in preparation for the following summer, where I do the same tryouts,” he noted.

As he heads into his junior year, Hahn still has time to develop, and he has his sights set on playing for one of those teams in one or two years. To make that an opportunity, Hahn will also be departing Northland Pines for a prep school in Indiana.

“Still being a junior in high school, I have time to keep developing as a player. I’m going to keep getting better, so in one to two years, I will be ready to play at the junior level with one of those three high-level junior teams,” he mentioned.

Attending Culver Academies

The jump and decision to move from Northland Pines to play at Culver Academies in Culver, Ind., has been on the horizon for a few years, according to Hahn. It’s a hard decision to leave the school and community he has played for his whole life, but he knew he would need to leave the area to pursue different avenues to achieve his goal.

“Over the past couple of years, I knew that I would more than likely need to leave Northland Pines if I truly wanted to pursue my goal of being a Division 1 college hockey player. In December of 2025, Culver U18/Prep team coach Kevin Patrick had reached out after watching me in a tournament in Chicago while playing with Team Wisconsin in that previous fall. This started the conversation of the possibility of me leaving Northland Pines my junior year,” Hahn explained. “We stayed in contact with Culver as the season progressed, along with two other options, the U16 Madison Capitols and the U16 Shattuck-St. Mary’s Sabres. Ultimately, I ended up picking Culver after falling in love with its campus after touring shortly after our state championship win.”

Hahn’s said his future can go many different ways, but he hopes to land in the junior hockey circuit within the next few seasons and then achieve his goal of eventually committing to a D1 college.

“I’ve always wanted to be a D1 college hockey player, and all of the hard work that I have put into this sport has been in hope of getting that opportunity one day,” he stated.

For Hahn, the journey is far from over. The drafts, the move to Culver Academies and the opportunities ahead are all milestones, but not the finish line. Hahn is set to embrace the road ahead.